By Kyle Coppola
Mount Dora High Cross-Country Girls Team Wins Regional Championship
The Mount Dora High School Girls Cross-Country Team showcased grit and skill this morning as they clinched back-to-back Regional Championship titles, leaving Coach Cody Adkinson brimming with pride.
Competing against some of the toughest opponents in the state at Weeki Wachee, the girls’ team overcame the odds, particularly edging out the 6th-ranked in state Bishop Moore. Hannah Douglas led the charge, claiming the 2nd overall position, closely followed by Senior Noelle Vu in 6th and Bailey Roman in 10th, all securing individual medals. Teammates Cecilia Zagorini, Isabella Orser, Mina Fourari, and Lilliana Vu played pivotal roles in ensuring the team’s triumph. Coach Adkinson praised the strategic focus and placing enough teammates in points positions to take first place.
(The girls team won the regional championship this morning.)
Although Cross-Country is about individuals, the team aspect is fun and makes the sport competitive. Just because you are not the fastest runner does not mean you cannot help the team. This is something we love about Cross-Country and it keeps runners who may not have the best speed in the team conversation. Mount Dora High is one of the best at this. The pacing of their athletes in the mid-pack is truly where the team shines. Although these runners don’t always get the credit they deserve they are a huge reason for the success of this team. Much like offensive lineman on a football team, mid-pack runners are a huge part of the team success.
Shifting the spotlight to the boys’ team, two standout performers emerged from the regional championships. Sophomore Donovan Spears not only secured 14th place overall but also clinched the 1st at-large bid to compete at the state level. His remarkable time of 17:27 marked the 4th fastest in Mount Dora High School history. We know that Donovan has been increasing his stamina each event this season. This morning he absolutely went for it. Very impressive run by Spears. Meanwhile senior Marc Florexil closely followed, running the 6th fastest time in school history with a swift 17:33.
(Donovan Spears posted the 4th fastest time ever in Mount Dora High boys history this morning at Regionals. The time qualified him for States next week.)
The outstanding achievements of these student athletes earned them the ticket to the state meet in Tallahassee on 11/17. As they prepare to put five months of intensive training to the ultimate test, Mount Dora High School stands united in celebration of their cross-country dominance. Congratulations to the girls team!
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
